Locomotive



Oct. 8, 1529'.

w. J., STILL LOCOMOTI VE Filed March 2, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 8, 1929. w. J. STILL LOCOMOTIVE Filed March- 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 8, 1929. r w, s-rf 1,730,695

LOCOMOTIVE Filed Marh 2, 1921' s Sheet-Sheeb s Patented Oct. 8, 1929 UNITED STATES WILLIAM JOSEPH STILL, OF EALING, LONDON, ENGLAND LOCOMOTIVE Application filed March 2, 1921, Serial'No. 449,139, and in Great Britain March 25, 1920.

This invention relates to improvements in locomotives employing internal combustion engines andhas reference particularly to the method of and means for transmitting the reciprocating motion of the pistons to a rotating crank.

The invention consists broadly of. an in ternal combustion engine wherein a pair or pairs of single acting cylinders are coupled by a rocking beam or beams, so as to transmit to a crank, or cranks, double actingforces.

It is of course quite well known in steam engine practice to couple the piston of a single cylinder to a crank through a beam and connecting rod and it is also known to couple a double acting steam cylinder and a pump cylinder by a rocking beam connected at its free end to a crank.

So far as I am aware it has not been previously suggested, however, to couple two single acting cylinders to a rocking beam and transmit the motion of the beam through a connecting rod to a crank. In fact, in the case of a steam engine such an arrangement would confer no great advantage since a single double acting cylinder of the same size would give substantially the same result.

In the case of single acting internal combustion cylinders however where each cylinder involves both positive and negative forces great advantages accrue both in the space occupied and in reducing the stresses imposed upon bearings and cranks which permits of their being of considerably reduced size. As a matter of fact it is possibleto so design that only about one-third of the crank pin and main shaft journal surface is required compared with that which would be necessary if all the pistons were directly coupled to a crankshaft in the usual way.

Although greatly advantageous in the case of all forms of combustion engines my invention is specially applicable to two cycle engines wherein steam preferably generated from the waste heat of the engine is used expansively at the backs of the combustion engine cylinders.

An advantageous construction of engine according to my invention consists of a pair of cylinders whose pistons are connected to a rocking beam and. the free end of the beam connected to one throw of a crank while a second pair of cylinders whose pistons are similarly coupled by a rocking beam is connected to another throw of the crank the pairs of cylinders being disposed on opposite sides of a centrally situated crank shaft.

In two cycle engines the scavenge pump can be used for starting purposes and the preferable arrangement is to provide that when starting up each scavenge pump shall operate half on steam and half as a blower and when normal running is attained the steam can be cut off when the scavenge pump orpumps can be arranged to operate solely for scavenging purposes. 7

The invention is capable of application to many types of engine and will be found particularly advantageous for the purpose of providing the power for a locomotive and in the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention as applied to this purpose, Fig. 1 being a diagrammatic side elevation of a locomotive with my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an elevation to a'larger scale illus- 'trating the engine and its valve gear in its relation to the locomotive wheels.

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof partly in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 2. V 1

Referring to these drawings the numeral 1 designates the locomotive frame which is provided with the usual arrangement of travelling wheels 2. The power units for driving the locomotive comprise pairs of vertically disposed cylinders 3 arranged side by side, a pair of cylinders being provided on each side of the locomotive frame. Pistons 4: re

ciprocate in the cylinders and their rods are pivotally connected to links 5 which are in turn pivotally connected to the angles 6 of a triangular beam 6 mounted to rock about a trunnion 7. The third angle of the triangular rocking beam is pivotally connected to one end of a connecting rod 8 the other end of which is connected to the crank pin 9 on the wheel of the locomotive. The power units are precisely similar except that the rocking beam and crank on one side are 90 out of phase with the rocking beam and crank on the other side of the locomotive frame the position of the second rocking beam being indicated in the drawings by means of dotted lines. Each pair of cylinders is provided with its own scavenge pump-where the engine is a two cycle engine as in the present example-and in Fig. 1 of the drawings the scavenge pump on one side is indicated at 10 and is shown as driven from one of the vehicle wheels through a connecting rod 11 and cross head. 12.

The particular type of internal combustion engine illustrated in the drawings is that where steam is used expansively at the backs of the combustion engine pistons and although my invention is not confined to this type of engine it is a very advantageous construction since it permits of the use of steam for starting up and overload purpose.

Similarly although my invention is not to be regarded as confined to internal combustion engines of the two cycle type this is also ad vantageous since the scavenge pumps are available for starting up purposes in accordance with the principles outlined in the specification of my prior United States Patent No. 1,512,318, dated Oct. 21, 192a.

The engine illustrated particularly in Figs. 2 to 4 of the drawings is an advantageous construction for locomotive work and it will be seen that the cylinders 3 are provided with pistons 4, the piston rods of which are. con- .nectedto links 5 carried by sliding blocks 5 working inguides 5 The lower end of each link 5 is pivotally connected at 6 'to the triangular rocking beam 6 which is pivotally mounted in bearings at 'lcarried by brackets 7 integral with or forming part ofthe locomotive,framework 1. The rocking beam is pivotally connected to the connecting rod 8 through which power is transmitted to the crank 9 as before described. Mounted upon the wheel shaft 13 are eccentrics 14 operating the valve gear 15 by means of a link 16 and a reversing handle 17 and drag links 18 are provided. To each end of the lever 19 of the valve operating gear is attached a valve rod 20 controlling admission of steam by means of apiston valve working within each of the cylinders 3. 'The numeral 21 designates the fuel pumps, the puppet levers 21 being actuated by the cam lever 22 journalled in the bearing 23. The numeral 24 designates a waste heat generator to which the exhaust from the internal combustion engine is led and in which steam is generated for use in the engine. I

With four cylinders two connecting rods are employed the cranks being set at 90 as before described. The connecting rod for the second set of cylinders is shown by the dotted line 10 connected to the rocking beam 6 also shown in dotted line.

By means of the foregoing arrangement all necessity for gearing is eliminated and the system can be applied to locomotive frames of ordinary construction with little difficulty.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A locomotive comprising a frame, an internal combustion engine mounted on said frame comprising a pair of vertically disposed single acting cylinders, a triangular rocking beam, pistons in said cylinders connected to two angles of said rocking beam on opposite sides of its fulcrum, a crank associated with the driving wheels of the locomotive and means connecting said crank to the third angle of said rocking beam at a point which is at a greater distance from the fulcrum of the rocking beam than are the points to which the said pistons are connected whereby the throw of the crank is increased beyond the stroke of the engine pistons and the forces acting on said pistons are transmitted to said crank throughout the whole of each revolution of the driving wheels.

2. A locomotive comprising a frame and crank driven driving wheels, an internal combustion engine power unit mountedon said frame comprising pairs of vertically disposed cylinders arranged side by side and on opposite sides of the locomotive adjacent to the cab, pistons in said cylinders the pistons in each pair moving oppositely to each other, a triangular rocking beam pivoted centrally beneath each pair of cylinders, means connecting said pistons to two angles of said rocking beam and on opposite sides of the fulcrum thereof, means connecting the third angle of each rocking beam to a crank adapted to rotate the driving wheels of the locomotive, said cranks being at 90 to each other and said third angle being at a greater distance from the fulcrum than the other two angles whereby the throw of each crank is greater than the stroke of the engine pistons and the forces acting on said pistons are transmitted to said crank throughout the whole of eachrevolution of the driving wheels.

3. A locomotive comprising a frame and crank driven driving wheels an internal combustion engme power unit mounted on said framecomprising pairs of vertically disposed cylinders arranged side by side and on opposite sides of the locomotive adjacent to the cab, pistons in said cylinders, the pistons in each pair moving oppositely to each other, a

triangular rocking beam pivoted centrally beneath each pair of cylinders, means connecting said pistons to two angles of said rocking beam and on opposite sides of the fulcrum thereof, means connecting the third angle of each rocking beam to a crank adapted to rotate the driving wheels of the locomotive, said cranks being at to each other and the forces acting on said pistons transmitted to said crank throughout the Whole of each revolution of the driving Wheels.

In Witness whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM JOSEPH STILL. 

